Christopher J. Hunter∗,†, Sophia Bianchi*, Phil Cheng‡, Ken Muldrew∗,‡
Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.4, No.4, pp. 227-238, 2007, DOI:10.3970/mcb.2007.004.227
Abstract The nucleus pulposi of many species contain residual cells from the embryonic notochord, which exhibit a very unusual appearance (large vacuoles occupying ~80% of the cell volume, surrounded by an actin cytoskeleton). While the vacuoles have been qualitatively described, their composition and function has remained elusive. Given that these cells are believed to generate and experience significant osmotic pressures in both the notochord and intervertebral disc, we hypothesized that the vacuoles may serve as osmoregulatory organelles. Using both experimental and theoretical means, we demonstrated that the vacuoles contain a low-osmolality solution, generated via ion pumps More >
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